


Unexpected Softness

by locrianrose



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Blood and Injury, F/M, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Black Eagles Route, Mentioned Black Eagles Students (Fire Emblem), Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:20:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28121532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/locrianrose/pseuds/locrianrose
Summary: A post-game mission goes south, and Hubert is forced to muse on his feelings for Byleth and how they've changed with time.
Relationships: My Unit | Byleth/Hubert von Vestra
Comments: 5
Kudos: 35





	Unexpected Softness

Hubert felt something pinning his legs down as he shifted, eyes opening slowly. Something warm was dripping down onto his face, and a sharp pain was biting into his ankle. 

“Don’t move.” Byleth coughed. 

Hubert’s eyes shot open the rest of the way, staring up in the dim light as he did. Byleth was hunched above him, back pressed up against a fallen beam. 

“They’re looking for us.” Byleth continued. “I—“ She broke off, a hacking cough echoing in the small space, and Hubert realized with a hint of fear that the liquid was blood, dripping down from Byleth. 

As she coughed, Hubert felt the debris around them shift, edging downward ever so slightly. He could see the light above drifting in through the cracks, hazy with dust. 

“What happened?” Hubert asked urgently, beginning to test his limbs and strength, finding that his left hand was free to move, but the right was trapped under something. 

Byleth coughed for a moment more. 

“‘Was a trap.” She forced the words out. “W’ went in to check, and it collapsed.” 

Hubert could feel her arms shaking where she’d positioned herself above him, hands pressing down into the wreckage below. 

“You’re keeping that up.” He stated carefully. 

“As long as I can.” Byleth forced the words out. “Don’t dare move.”

Hubert began to test the space by his left arm, slowly working it back towards him. He should be able to heal her somewhat with his limited talent with faith magic, something Byleth herself had insisted he study in addition to his chosen field despite his complaints and vague threats at her instruction. 

Not for the first time, as Byleth held herself in danger for his sake. Hubert felt a flicker of regret for the years he’d spent doubting her before she’d returned to them, for the time he’d spent plotting her demise should she reappear and threaten them. He’d long since resigned himself to his past behavior and knew well that it had been necessary, but to see her like this now, hurt him deeply. 

He had promised her that he’d kill her if she ever lost herself, but now, he couldn’t fathom the thought of losing her. 

“I will try to heal you.” Hubert explained slowly, reaching up to place a careful hand on her chest. He could feel the tremors running through her body far more easily now. “How long was I unconscious?”

“Not too long.” Byleth offered. 

Hubert focused, casting the healing energy into Byleth. He felt her tremors recede slightly, and her breathing evened slightly. 

Hubert let his arm drop back to his chest, listening, and sure enough, he could hear the sound of distant voices as Byleth had mentioned before. 

“Do they know where we are?” Hubert asked. 

“Don’t know.” Byleth said.

Another drip.

A voice called out. “Professor? Hubert?” 

Lindhardt, then. 

“Here!” Hubert called out. 

“I can warp you both out.” Linhardt spoke again. 

“You first.” Byleth said quietly. “Can’t move or it’ll fall.”

Hubert hesitated, then nodded shortly. 

“Linhardt, warp me out first.”

“I’ll do what I can.” Linhardt called in again. 

“This will be fine.” Hubert spoke carefully to Byleth, tracing his hand along the line of her jaw. ”Linhardt will heal what I can’t as soon as you’re out.” 

“Hubert, there’s something —”

Hubert felt the stomach churning sensation of warp as he was pulled away, his world darkening for an instant before reappearing around him as he was deposited in the dirt next to Linhardt, spotting Caspar sprinting towards them. 

“Do you need healing?” Linhardt asked. 

“Get her out.” Hubert rasped. 

Linhardt turned, silently casting his spell again, and then—

Byleth sprawled out on the dirt before him, and Hubert pulled himself forwards, ignoring his crumpled ankle as he did.. The wreckage of the house groaned, shifting from the slightest change.

Something in the wreckage had pierced her side, and now, in its absence, blood pooled out at a sickening rate.

“Linhardt.” Hubert barked at him, and after a moment frozen, Linhardt moved. 

“Caspar, put pressure on it.” Linhardt spoke quickly. 

Caspar barged in as he always did, but Hubert was glad for his speed now as Caspar placed his hands over the wound, pressing down and holding in what he could. 

Linhardt, looking green in far more than his hair, placed a hand on Byleth, beginning to channel his magic into her. Hubert pulled himself across the last of the distance to Byleth, feeling for a pulse, finding it there, faint and fluttering, but present for now.

If he’d just been better with faith magic, and healing—

But now wasn’t the time for that. Now was the time to scramble for a vulnerary he hadn’t been able to reach earlier and drink it, because if the building’s collapse had been a trap, then they would likely have enemies to face. 

“Where are Jeritza and Bernadetta?” Hubert barked to Caspar and Linhardt, twitching slightly as his ankle set and healed itself. 

“Back that way.” Caspar jerked his head. “I ran when I heard the noise to see what happened.” 

“Fetch them.” Hubert ordered, moving to Caspar’s side. “Let me.” Hubert took Caspar’s place, pressing his hands down on the bloody cloth. “Warn then not to enter the buildings.”

Hubert could see Linhardt flagging as he continued to try to undo what had been done, making a rapid decision. 

“Stabilize her, then stop.” Hubert stated. “We will need to be prepared.”

This was supposed to be simple. The village had been abandoned, reports filtering in of what might have happened, and Edelgard had dispatched them to attempt to discover what had happened and to investigate if Those Who Slither had been involved. 

While in word it had only been intended as recon, Hubert had been well aware of the risks, but now—

His head was spinning sickeningly, and as Linhardt nodded to him, turning away from the sight of the blood, Hubert turned, vomiting whatever was left in his stomach of breakfast in the dirt behind Byleth. 

“Hubert, we’re in no shape to fight now.” Linhardt spoke dazedly. 

“What caused that?” Hubert asked. 

“You don’t remember?”

“I—no.” 

Linhardt moved slowly into Hubert’s view, examining his eyes. 

“You’re going to need better healing.” 

“Not now.” Hubert stated. “I can fight as is, and we need to be prepared for far worse.”

A rumble came as the debris shifted again, and as it moved, pushed upwards, Hubert had a sickening feeling that he knew what had caused the collapse. Jeritza— no, the Death Knight— rode towards them from the other direction, Bernadetta scurrying along behind him with Caspar at her side, arriving just as from under the debris a demonic beast emerged, roaring in anger and pain as it burst forth. 

Jeritza charged forth, moving to attack. Hubert checked Byleth’s pulse again, then glanced at Linhardt. 

“Warp her away if it gets closer.” Hubert ordered, forcing himself to stand. 

The Death Knight had already made a dent in their enemy, with Bernadetta taking shots when she was able. Caspar charged in as well, fists at the ready as he swung. 

They wouldn’t be able to kill it before it could free itself fully, but Hubert knew that they had to try. He staggered forward and up, preparing to cast Banshee at it in an attempt to prevent it from moving forward. 

They all knew their places without Byleth, but Hubert knew that they fought better with her there to guide them. Her talent with combat was still largely unrivaled and her ability to know where to place them all on the battlefield had been an indispensable talent throughout the war.

Hubert let his spell fly as the Death Knight’s relentless attacks struck the beast, slowly wearing it down. The beast roared in pain as it was struck, lunging towards Hubert as it was hit. He heard Linhardt warp Byleth away again, standing in the spot where she’d lain.

The attack slammed into Hubert, sending him to the ground. It was damp with the blood from where Byleth had bled moments before, and for a moment, Hubert wondered if this would be it as the beast zeroed in on him again.

It shrieked as a carefully aimed arrow struck it between the eyes, Bernadetta’s shriek of emotion echoing as it slammed to the ground, the final blow striking it down. 

The Death Knight directed his horse to Hubert, looming above him.

“It is foolish to stay here.” 

Caspar jogged over to Hubert, tugging him up and forcing Hubert to drape an arm over his shoulder. 

“C’mon, buddy. If there’s more of those, we can’t deal with them alone. We’d be better going back and bringing help.” Caspar’s exclamation echoed across the abandoned square, and Hubert felt his stomach lurch as he heard the scream of another beast. 

It charged into the square, approaching from another corner. 

Hubert attempted to pull Caspar with him to where Byleth lay, still unmoving, Linhardt standing before her as the beast charged. 

But then— before the beast could attack, another rider charged into the square, riding at the beast with lance extended, rapidly followed by sparks of dark energy. 

Ferdinand von Aegir arrived with a flair that he so often sought after, and Hubert felt a sense of gratitude at his appearance that he’d rarely felt before the war. Ferdinand was more bearable now, after the war, and Hubert would say that he didn’t mind the other’s company, and now, in need, he was simply grateful. Dorothea had been the one to give Hubert a shrewd look when he’d mentioned this to her, suggesting briefly that he’d changed as well. Edelgard had intervened on Dorothea’s behalf then, stopping Hubert before he could argue. 

Lysithea’s magic made quick work of the beast as she followed Ferdinand, and Mercedes’ quick appearance hurrying towards Byleth and Linhardt, kneeling over Byleth, did something to assuage the worry in his stomach. 

“I’m gonna get you to Mercedes and then I’ll go help.” Caspar said, carrying the majority of Hubert’s weight before depositing him unceremoniously near Byleth. “Hey Mercedes! Linhardt, are you up to fighting?”

“I’ll be there if it gets worse.” Linhardt said dazedly. “I, ah, need some rest.” 

Caspar nodded, and was off again, leaving Hubert behind as the fight continued. 

“How did you know to come?” Hubert asked. 

“Edelgard sent us after you!” Mercedes said, deftly tearing away the ruined cloth where Byleth had been struck, running her fingers over the skin as she examined what had been healed. “Hubert, where are you hurt?”

“I—” Hubert paused, trying to discern what exactly was causing the fogginess in his mind. “I—am—” 

Why was it so damned hard to speak? His tongue felt too thick, and as Mercedes reached out an arm towards him, Hubert felt himself slide, slouching forward as his eyes shut. 

—

Hubert’s eyes flickered open as he sat up abruptly, glancing around as he took in Manuela’s sick wing in the dim light. 

His head ached, but the fogginess that had filled his head before was gone, and Byleth— Byleth was laying in the next bed, blanket draped over her sleeping form. Hubert slowly moved, sliding his feet off of the bed to the floor. His outer layer had been removed, and Hubert shifted irritably at the thought of Manuela checking him over.

Byleth was pale, but breathing evenly. Hubert carefully placed his hand on her shoulder, assuring himself that she was still here with him. 

He was well aware that Byleth was anything but fragile, but now, seeing her sleeping so soon after injury, he saw her in a different light— one that more and more, he had seen her with. Seeing someone other than Edelgard as something he needed to protect had been unexpected, and and to want to assist someone with such tenderness—

He had not been prepared to feel so strongly. 

Hubert gently touched Byleth’s hair, softly twisting a curl of blue around his fingers. He would need to go and find Edelgard, and then, once he had reported to her and learned the rest of what had happened, he would return to Byleth’s side.

**Author's Note:**

> I just really like Huleth. I've been meaning to write something for them for a while, and needed a little break from working on Inheritance, so I popped this out yesterday and today. I personally find Hubert very pragmatic, and I wanted to explore how he'd feel about how much he used to suspect and dislike Byleth. 
> 
> When I was a kid, I read the Tamora Pierce Circle of Magic books and that scene in Sandry's Book where they all get trapped underground had a major impact on me, and I've always found stories with similar stressful scenarios interesting ever since.


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